Hoffman: Legends bringing more attention to sport of rodeo

With the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo celebrating its 50th edition and the Professional Bull Riders touting its 15th World Finals this year, it's important to reflect on past legendary competitors.

Two men who made a tremendous impact on western sports are Ty Murray and Larry Mahan, and there's no doubt their accomplishments will be a topic at the PBR Finals scheduled for Oct. 31-Nov. 2 and Nov. 6-9, and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association's National Finals on Dec. 4-13 when both events roll into Las Vegas.

Ten years ago, Murray won a record seventh all-around title in the PRCA and he is a founding father of the PBR. Thirty-five years ago, Mahan won a then-record sixth PRCA all-around title and later became a member of the PBR's Ring of Honor.

In the past year, Murray, 38, who lives on a ranch near Stephenville, has reached a new level of transcending his sport.

Murray has strapped on a racing helmet during a prime time ABC special last summer about celebrity auto racing and drove around a NASCAR track faster than a rampaging bull charges after a scrambling rider.

And he also taught a small posse of celebs Bull Riding 101 last summer on a CMT television series.

Murray invited the group to his ranch to learn about bull riding and asked them to compete in Nashville in conjunction with a PBR tour stop.

"Those are things that make people ask, What about a bull rider? What about a cowboy?' " Murray said. "My idea behind the celebrity bull riding was to get people who are outside of our circles to start taking a look at the sport and what goes into it."

Murray, who retired from competing six years ago, said part of the problem is that millions of fans follow mainstream sports such as baseball and football because they have tried them to some degree, but bull riding and rodeo suffers because most people simply haven't had the opportunity.

Mahan took Murray under his wing in the early 1980s when he spotted him on the junior rodeo circuit and asked the 13-year-old to spend the summer at his ranch. It was an offer Murray couldn't refuse.

Murray said the main thing he learned was how to be an ambassador of the sport. Mahan who won his string of all-around titles in the late 1960s and early 70s, drew attention to bull riding and rodeo like no other. He was truly the sport's goodwill ambassador.

Mahan, 64, who lives near Bowie, said he believes it is the inherent danger of the events that drew people's attention.

"There's a huge market that likes extreme sports, and both Ty and I were fortunate that we were able to go to the top of our game and reached our goals," Mahan said. "And it set the table so we could pick and choose what we wanted to do for the rest of our lives."

Headed to nationals

Brester Guin of Slaton finished third in saddle bronc riding at the Texas High School Rodeo Finals last weekend in Abilene. The top four finishers in each event advance to the July 20-26 National High School Rodeo Finals in Farmington, N.M.

Brett Hoffman is a 20-year rodeo columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and a member of the Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame. He can be reached at brett@myrodeoinsider.com.